Govt to chair EU meeting on Ceuta migrant crisis

EU interior and justice ministers convened an emergency meeting to address the migrant crisis in Ceuta, with Spain receiving praise for its swift response. Ireland held the EU Presidency during the meeting. The bloc commended Spain for handling the incident and protecting its external borders from illegal migration. Spain returned 70,000 of the 72,000 migrants to Morocco, with the migrant rush causing 77 deaths.

The EU is united in supporting Spain and will explore further coordination with third countries, improved crisis communication, and strengthened border security. The Schengen area was not compromised, according to Spanish and French officials. Italy and Denmark had initially advocated for Spain's suspension from the Schengen zone, but Madrid firmly rejected the idea, as it is legally impossible under EU rules.